Nearly 130 long-term care facilities across the state, including two in Butler County, are receiving $14.2 million in federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding to fund senior care as Pennsylvania’s population ages and residents’ needs change.

Magnolia Place of Saxonburg and the Seasons of Saxonburg are receiving the money, which is being administered through the state Department of Health, to address their resident needs, according to a Tuesday, March 28, news release from the health department.

Magnolia Place of Saxonburg received $162,200, and Saxony Health Center, also known as the Seasons of Saxonburg, received $110,200.

Kelly Waldman, owner of Magnolia Place of Saxonburg and the Seasons of Saxonburg, said she has noticed a growing need for certain services among seniors in the region.

“What we see is a lot of people coming in are a little older and a little sicker, so we have to be innovative in what we have to offer,” Waldman said. “Overall our memory care unit, which is specialized, is pretty full — we have a little wait list there. With personal care it just depends.”

The grants were awarded through the Long-Term Care Quality Investment Pilot program, open to skilled nursing facilities, personal care homes, assisted living facilities and intermediate care facilities. The money is intended to be used to improve workforce development, staff retention and infrastructure that supports infection prevention control and emergency preparedness, according to the news release.

Waldman said the money the Saxonburg facilities are getting will allow staff to attend training for professional development and also will pay for improvements to infrastructure.

“We're really excited to see what trainings the state has to offer and put more of our staff through that,” Waldman said. “The infrastructure tract had a lot to do with general improvements; improving internet, upgrading the HVAC system and getting hand sanitizer, upgrading visitation spaces.”

Waldman said her father had owned the care facilities before her, and he noticed that the average age of residents at the homes had increased over the years. Additionally, children of local seniors have more often been opting to keep their parents at home longer, which she said he chalked up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For these reasons, Waldman said, state funding will be helpful to keep up with the changing demographics.

“Both buildings have been in Saxonburg community for a while ... We're looking forward to working with the state more,” Waldman said. “The average age tends to be a little older now, probably mid-80s to late-80s.”